Untangle Me
by Bailey Noelle
Summary: One night could change your world forever, or at least, that's what Molly Gilbert has always heard. After reluctantly agreeing to a night out with her friends, Molly's life gets turned upside down when she meets Lachlan Gillespie. The two seem to click right away, but will past experiences keep Molly from opening up her heart to the man who could possibly be her soul mate?
1. Chapter 1

"Come on, Molly, you never do anything fun! It's only one night, and it wouldn't be the same without you!"

Molly sighed as she rolled her eyes at her coworker and friend. "That's not true, Hannah. I do plenty of fun things.." She muttered as she continued to straighten up her classroom. Due to the rainy weather outside, she'd been forced to keep her toddlers inside, and they'd practically trashed the room out of boredom. Ahh, the life of a preschool teacher...

"Pffft, sure you do. You work and you babysit for you stepbrother. And when you're not watching kids, you go home and watch Netflix, am I right? Don't even try to deny it. Besides, what is one night out going to hurt?" Hannah asked. Her brow was raised as she gave Molly a smug smirk. She was right and she knew it.

Molly sighed and opened her mouth to speak, but she was quickly cut off by her friend once more.

"You haven't even had a night out since you broke up with Asher…"

Molly tensed a bit as she turned to look at Hannah. A hard glare was evident in her eyes. "That's not fair." She said firmly. Molly hadn't had the best relationship with Asher, and though it took so long for her to admit it to herself, breaking up with him had been the best thing she'd ever done for herself. But, it still was painful. She'd spent years with him, and it was hard to just let all of that go.

Hannah frowned at the look on her friend's face. She was regretful of her words, or rather, how she'd put them. She knew Asher was a tough subject for Molly and she should have never brought him up. Still, she knew a night out with her friends was exactly what Molly needed, even if she didn't see it. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you, that's all. You're always doing things for others, but you never do anything for yourself. I think a night out is just what you need. "

Molly sighed as she placed the last stray toy on the shelf. She really just wanted to go home and have a relaxing night in, but perhaps there was some truth in what Hannah was saying. "You know what...fine, I'll go. But just this once, okay? And you have to promise not to harass me about going out again."

A bright grin spread across Hannah's face as she nodded eagerly. "Deal! We're meeting at McGuire's pub at 8:30, don't be late! I swear you're going to have the best time! You won't regret it!"

…..

And so that's how Molly found herself seated at a table with Hannah and Sophie, surrounded by drunk people and loud Irish music. If she was honest, this wasn't her cup of tea and she longed to go home, but she didn't want to disappoint her friends. So, she sipped idly at a glass of wine and took in her surroundings the best she could.

Sophia and Hannah had gotten lost in their own conversation, and though Molly knew they weren't trying to exclude her in any way, she felt like a third wheel and didn't want to butt into the conversation. Using the excuse of getting a second glass of wine, Molly stood from the table and made her way toward the surprisingly less crowded bar and took a seat. She let out a quiet sigh as she pulled out her phone from her pocket and began scrolling through her notifications. She quickly got lost in her own little world until she was interrupted by the feeling of an arm wrapping around her waist.

With a gasp, Molly looked up to see the smiling face of a man about her age, maybe a bit older. "There you are, Sweetheart, I wondering where you'd gotten off to." He said in a thick Australian accent. His bold actions and words earned a look of complete bewilderment from Molly. Who was this man and what the hell did he think he was doing?

"I…" Molly started, but she paused when the man leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"Just play along...The man beside you slipped something into your drink. " He whispered, causing Molly to tense. She did her best not to look at the man beside her or her drink. Instead, she forced a smile and looked up at the oddly familiar man.

"Hey! Just thought I'd wait for you at the bar." She told him. Molly wondered if her face betrayed her confusion, and perhaps her fear. She really hoped not, though she did have a hard time controlling her expressions.

"Good call." The man replied before looking to the bartender. He ordered himself a Guinness before turning his attention to Molly. "And what do you want, Love?" Damn this man was laying it on thick, wasn't he?"

"Oh,um, just water with lime please." She said to the bartender, forcing a smile. She wanted to get away from this whole situation, but it seemed she was rather stuck. If she walked away now, it'd be quite clear to the man who attempted to drug her that she wasn't with the man who was being far too familiar with her for her liking.

Thankfully the man seemed to note Molly's discomfort, so he removed his arm from her waist before reaching for her hand. "Want to step outside a bit?" He asked her in a whisper, to which Molly nodded as she quickly slid off the barstool, not letting go of her water for a moment. She kept a hold of the man's hand as they weaved through the crowd of people and headed straight toward the outdoor seating area.

Molly was apprehensive about going outside with this man, and understandably so. She didn't know him, she didn't know his intentions. Still, he had saved her from something horrible, and though looks could be deceiving, he seemed completely harmless.

As they stepped out into the cool autumn air, Molly let out a shaky breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her hand was still holding on to the man's hand as he led her to an empty table toward the back of the patio.

"I'd let you keep it if I didn't need it." The man teased with a grin as he gently eased tugged his hand away from Molly's grip.

Molly felt her cheeks burn with a blush and she quickly stuffed her hand into the pocket of her skinny jeans. She cleared her throat and took a seat at the table. "Sorry about that...Uh, thank you for...back there. I should have been paying more attention." She said.

A soft smile tugged at his lips as the man took a seat across from Molly at the table. "It's alright. I can tell your mind is a bit preoccupied. I'm just glad I got to you before you took a sip." He said. His smile faded slightly as the gravity of the situation seemed to hit him. However, his smile quickly returned as he offered his hand to Molly once more. "My name's Lachlan, uh, but my friends call me Lachy."

Molly slipped her hand into his and shook it gently, her smile mirroring his. "It's nice to meet you Lachy, despite the circumstances. I'm Molly." She couldn't help but wonder why he seemed so familiar to her. There had to be somewhere she'd seen him before, though she couldn't think of where. It wasn't really all that common to see an Australian in Folly Beach, South Carolina…

Molly was once again pulled from her thoughts by the sound of a muttered curse. She looked at Lachy to see an apologetic look on his face. "I have to go. My set starts in ten minutes." Molly must have had a confused expression on her face because Lachy gestured toward the door as he continued. "My uh, my band. We're playing next. I'm sure they're wondering where I'm at. Uh...You could come with me if you want? I'm sure it'd be okay for you to stand where out guitar cases are…"

Molly nodded slowly. "Oh, of course. Yeah, you should go." She said, smiling a bit. "I have friends here, actually. And they're probably wondering where I went. I should go find them." She explained.

Lachy gave her a curious look, and Molly figured he was wondering why she'd separated from her friends, but thankfully he didn't question it. Instead, he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I see. Well, uh, if you're planning on staying for a while, would you like to have a drink after the set?"

Molly hesitated for a moment before she responded with a nod. She didn't know this guy, she really shouldn't be agreeing to spend time with him, but she felt she owed him at least a drink. He did potentially save her life, after all. Besides, she was certain Sophia and Hannah would be in their own little world the rest of the night anyway if they hadn't found guys to dance with already, that is. "Sure, that sounds nice." She said, offering him one more smile.

Lachy's smile brightened a bit as he offered her his hand, which Molly took against her better judgment and the two made their way back into the bar. After a quick 'see you later", they quickly went their separate ways, Lachy heading toward the small stage while Molly returned to the table with her friends. She wasn't even certain they had realized she had slipped away until Hannah gave her an accusing look.

"And where the hell have you been?" She asked her. "You slipped away to get another glass of wine almost 45 minutes ago!"

Molly bit her lip and held up her glass of water. "Uh, long story." She said as she slid into the chair she'd occupied previously.

"Mhmm, and who was that guy you were walking back in with?" Sophia questioned. A sly smirk tugged at her lips, and Molly had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"Just a guy I met. He kinda saved me from a potentially bad situation." She said with a shrug before she sipped the cold water. "Apparently someone slipped something into my drink." She held her hand up before her friends could begin freaking out. "Don't worry, I didn't drink any of it. Thankfully he was there."

"Molly, you have to pay attention. That's why it's better to stay with the group you came with." Hannah's voice was edged with annoyance, but Molly ignored it.

"Well, I'm fine." She left the conversation at that, not offering to say anything else on the matter as the sound of Irish folk music began to drift through the pub. Molly turned her attention to the stage, and her eyes widened slightly as she looked at the other people who joined Lachy on the stage. At least two of them seemed familiar as well, and she knew exactly where she'd seen them before.

"Molly, you okay?" Hannah asked, having noticed the strange expression on her friend's face. "I take it you recognize them?"

Molly looked to Hannah, her eyes were still wide with shock. "Why are the…"

Sophie interrupted Molly as she yelled out over the loud music. "They have 21 and up gig at Irish pubs and bars when they tour the U.S. and Canada, we thought it might be fun to go. We see enough of them at work, after all, maybe their adult shows aren't so bad. Oh don't look so put out, it's going to be fun! They sing Irish and Scottish Folk music from what I understand."

"But the damn Wiggles?" Molly asked, in exasperation. That's where she'd seen Lachy before. She'd seen him almost daily on the classroom TV for 30 minutes before the toddlers went down for their nap. The same man on stage, singing the first few lines of Loch Lomond was the same man who pretended to fall asleep in the most random places on her toddlers' favorite tv show.

"Well, their band is called the Unusual Commoners. But yes, three of them, at least are Wiggles." Hannah replied with a snorted laugh. "What, you didn't recognize him earlier?"

Molly's eyes widened again as the girls continued with their giggles. "You look shocked...We saw you step out with him, and no, we didn't think you knew who he was...You should get his number, he's a cutie." Sophie teased. Her words were slurred a bit, which told Molly she'd probably already had more than enough alcohol for the night.

Molly rolled her eyes and sipped her drink. She didn't dignify that comment with a response as she turned her attention back to the stage where the man she'd just spent almost an hour with was singing his heart out and playing the hell out of a guitar. She had to admit, he was good, very good.

"For a Wiggle." She murmured with a small smile as she settled in her chair to enjoy the rest of the set.


	2. Chapter 2

The set was over before Molly knew it and she soon found herself making her way toward the stage area. She didn't bother to tell her friends where she was going, as she was pretty sure they already knew. She'd agreed to have a drink with Lachy, and she wasn't going back on her word.

As Molly approached the stage, her eyes searched the crowd for Lachy, who had stepped off the stage almost as soon as they'd finished playing.. It was a bit difficult with the multitude of people that were crammed in the small pub, but she finally spotted him and began to make her way over to him.

It didn't take long for Lachy to notice her coming his way, so he met her in the middle with a grin on his face. "Hey you stayed." He said.

Molly nodded, smiling a bit at the man. "I did." She confirmed as she stuffed her hands in her pockets. An awkward moment passed between them where neither said a word, but only looked at each other. Finally, Lachy decided to break the silence.

"So, still up for a drink?" He asked as he gestured toward the bar area.

Molly nodded. "I've had enough alcohol for the night, but I wouldn't say no to another water. It's absolutely stifling in here." She replied. She was surprised to feel Lachy's hand grasping her's as he began to lead her to the bar, once again against her better judgment, she didn't pull away.

"Water actually sounds quite nice, if I'm honest. The stage lights were warmer than I thought they'd be." Lachy mused. He then proceeded to order two glasses of water for them, remembering that Molly liked lime in hers, which came as a surprise to the young woman.

Once they had their drinks in hand, the two headed back out to the empty patio to get some fresh air and to escape the noise for a bit. Rather than sitting at the table again, the two decided to stand at the railing of the deck which overlooked the dimly lit beach. A silence fell over them once more. Despite this, Molly found that she was oddly comfortable in this stranger's presence which made her wonder if that fact had anything to do with her knowledge of who he was. How had she not realized before?

It was Molly this time that broke the silence as she couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. She tried to hide it, but Lachy had noticed.

"Dare I ask what's so funny?" Lachy questioned, raising a brow as he looked to the woman beside him. This only made Molly laugh harder, especially when she saw the curious expression on his face. 

"I'm s-sorry...It's nothing really. Just…" She paused as a fit of giggles hit once more and she was unable to speak until she regained her composure, which she was failing miserably to do. Finally, she was able to calm down enough to take a deep breath and wipe away the tears of mirth from her eyes. Poor Lachy still looked rather bewildered as he waited for Molly to explain herself. "I'm sorry, I probably look insane. It's just...It's..When I was asked to come here tonight by my coworkers, I wasn't expecting to see the Wiggles performing in a little Irish pub." She admitted.

"Ahh, I see. I would suppose not." Lachy mused, chuckling a bit as he shook his head. "So, I take it you have children?" His gaze dropped to her hand, which he found bare of a wedding ring. Before Molly cold catch him, he brought his gaze back up to her face.

"Eight adorable, but rambunctious toddlers." Molly replied, a smirk tugging at her lips. It was all she could do not to start laughing again at the expression of shock on his face. "Relax, they're not mine. I'm a preschool teacher." She continued. " I'm actually surprised I didn't realize where I'd seen you before when we were talking earlier. We've been on a Wiggles kick in the classroom lately, and we've almost worn the dvd's we have out. Oh wow, and you're probably weirded out by that, aren't you? I'll shut up now." Molly said before taking a large sip of her water in an attempt to distract herself.

"No, why would I be weirded out?" Lachy questioned, his voice holding a tone of confusion. "It is my job after all. It seems like what we do for a living is quite similar. You said you have toddlers?"

Molly nodded. "Older ones and twos. They're a sweet age group, but they can be a handful at times."

"Oh, I'll bet." Lachy chuckled. "And eight on your own, I don't see how you do it. I'll admit I can keep them entertained, but as far as actually caring for that many children at once…" He let the sentence hang in the air as he shook his head.

"A little bit of patience and a whole lot of coffee." Molly replied with a slight smirk. "So, what brings you all the way to Folly Beach? It seems sort of an odd place for a Wiggles show."

"Well, we had a show in Charleston yesterday followed by today and tomorrow off, so we decided to book a gig here at McGuires's. Well, we as in Anthony, Emma, and I. We call ourselves the Unusual Commoners, I suppose. It's just a bit of fun, really. Something we do on the side, especially while on tour. Just to keep our sanity."

"Oh, I can understand that...Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my littles, but sometimes those songs get stuck in your head and they won't go can be a bit annoying..." Molly bit her lip. Great, she'd just told him her kids listened to the Wiggles, and now she was saying the music annoyed her. He probably thought she was trying to insult his job, which was the last thing she was trying to do. "I mean...Sometimes I don't want to think about work when I'm home. It's not always easy, though." She was trying to make this better, but she wasn't sure she was being successful.

If Lachy had been insulted by her words, he didn't let on. Instead, he smiled and nodded his head in agreement. "No, I get it. You don't know how many times I've found myself doing something normal like making dinner or walking my dog, and the next thing I know I'm singing or humming one of the songs. More often than not it's Propeller." He chuckled and shook his head. "I promise it's not intentional, it just happens. I guess it's true that you really can't leave work at work."

Molly giggled a bit and nodded. "I suppose not." She mused before she took a sip of her water. A comfortable silence seemed to fall on them once more as the pair both gazed on the waves crashing against the beach. With the dim lighting of the surrounding buildings, Molly could see there were a few people walking along the edge of the water despite the coolness in the air. She found herself compelled to ask Lachy if he wanted to go for a walk as well, but before she could ask him, she was interrupted by a voice behind her.

"There you are, I've been looking all over for you! Sophie isn't feeling well and I was going to drive her home…"

Molly bit her lip and spared a glance to Lachy for just a moment before she turned to Hannah and frowned. "Is she okay?" She questioned. She was worried for her friend, but a part of her was quite disappointed that it was time to leave already. She'd been so hesitant to come in the first place, and she nearly faked the starting of a cold so she could get out of it, but now? She was enjoying herself, and genuinely enjoying Lachy's company. She found she didn't want to leave, not yet. Though it had to be going on 11:00 or later.

Hannah nodded a bit. "She's fine, she just had a few too many and.. Well, you know how she gets." She looked at Lachy and smiled a bit. "I hate to interrupt, but we're leaving now, so…"

Molly bit her lip. "Well, I drove myself tonight, so if Sophie is okay, I think I'll stay for a bit." She was against her better judgement. She knew she should exchange numbers with Lachy and just go home too. But she found that was the last thing she wanted to do. A smile tugged at her lips as she glanced at Lachy for just a second. She could see that he was smiling as well, and that just made her decision to stay that much easier.

Hannah, however, wasn't smiling. In fact, she seemed a bit perturbed by Molly's decision. "Are you sure that's wise? I mean, after what happened earlier… It's always safer to be with friends, especially at a bar. You never know what could happen." She had a lot of room to talk, they hadn't even noticed when Molly had left the table...

Molly chose her next words carefully, for if she hadn't, she knew she'd have insulted her friend. "I'm sure. I'm having fun, and you said yourself that I need to have more fun. I'll text you when I get home."

Hannah looked rather irritated. "Molly, come on. I think you should go home too. You don't need to be here alone…"

"She's not alone." Lachy finally spoke up, surprising Molly, and from the looks of it, Hannah as well. "Molly will be safe with me, and I'll make sure she gets home okay. You don't have to worry." He continued.

Hannah looked back and forth between Molly and Lachy, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Molly could tell she didn't know what to say, and it was sort of amusing. "Molly, are you sure?" She asked, glancing sideways at Lachy. "I mean, you don't really know him. Are you sure you'll be okay?"

Molly nodded once more. "I'll be fine, Hannah. Look, I promise to text you when I get home." She didn't want Hannah to worry, but she wasn't going to leave just because her coworker decided to get three sheets to the wind and had to go home all of a sudden.

Hannah gave Molly a lingering look as she bit her lip. She glanced at Lachy as well, who only smiled politely, not offering to say another word. Finally, she let out a sigh and nodded. "Okay, make sure you do. I'll see you Monday, I guess." She didn't wait for Molly to reply before she turned and headed back inside where Sophie was waiting by the door.

Molly shook her head a bit and turned back to Lachy. "Sorry about that." She apologized.

Lachy shook his head. "No, it's okay. There's no reason to let your night end because your friend drank too much. Though, correct me if I'm wrong, you weren't really interested in spending time with them anyway...Am I right?"

Molly bit her lip before she nodded. "I wasn't even going to come tonight, if I'm completely honest. I'm not really one for going out, especially to bars. Hannah practically begged me to go out with her and Sophie and I just..I don't know, I agreed to get her off of my back." She admitted with a shrug. It wasn't entirely true, Molly used to love going out with friends, especially after work on a Friday night. But after she met Asher things changed. And when she had ended things with him she became even more of a homebody. Molly hated to admit it, but this was the first time she'd been out for fun in the entire three months since ending her relationship.

Lachy gave Molly a curious look. "And why's that?" He asked her. She could tell that Lachy wasn't prying, he was genuinely curious, but she wasn't sure she was ready to tell a man she met literally two hours ago her entire sob story, so she settled for a playful smirk in an attempt to lighten the mood and perhaps steer the conversation in a different direction.

"That's a story for another day." She replied before looking out at the beach. "You wanna go for a walk? If your Wiggle buddies won't miss you, of course." She teased.

Lachy chuckled and glanced at his phone to check the time. "I'll think I can steal away for a bit. Anthony and Simon will be having another drink or two before we leave anyway." He pocketed his phone before offering his hand for Molly to take, which she did once again, against her better judgement.

The two headed down the wooden steps and onto the soft sand of the beach. Neither of them were wearing the correct shoes for the terrain, but it was far too cool to walk barefoot. They didn't seem to care, however, as they walked for what seemed like hours, all the while talking about anything and everything. It was only when Lachy's phone began to buzz that they realized just how long they'd been out there.

"Shit, it's nearly 2:00 am…"He cursed before looking at Molly with an apologetic expression. "We should really head back. Anthony's texted me a dozen times wondering where I am."

Molly's eyes widened in realization. "2:00 am?! How on earth did it get this late?" In all honesty, it hadn't felt like it'd been quite that long, though you know what they say about time and having fun. She tried to hide the frown that was tugging at her lips as she nodded in agreement. "Right, yeah. We should..we should go back." She may have been able to hide the frown, but Molly was certain her voice betrayed her disappointment. She felt Lachy squeeze her hand gently and for a moment she smiled. Funny, she hadn't noticed that they hadn't let go of each other's hands the whole time either.

Lachy and Molly walked back to the pub in silence. Neither of them really knew what to say to the other. It was strange how well they'd gotten along, how easily they'd clicked in only a few hours. And now they would have to say goodbye. It was silly, but Molly found that she dreaded saying goodbye to him. Little did she know, Lachy was thinking the same thing.

Finally, they arrived back at McGuire's, which was far less crowded by now. As they made their way up the steps and into the bar, Molly attempted to let go of Lachy's hand, but he continued to hold her's gently offering only a sheepish smile when she looked up at him. Molly found herself mirroring his smile.

Lachy's friends were all gathered around a table, finishing what appeared to be the last of quite a few rounds of beer. If they'd noticed Lachy and Molly come in, they didn't let on. They were laughing and carrying on amongst themselves as a gentle Irish tine played over the speakers in the bar.

"So, um...Shall I walk you home?" Lachy asked Molly as they headed toward the front door. It was an excuse to spend just a bit more time with his new acquaintance, for he was just as reluctant as she was for the night to end.

"Hmm? Oh, um..Actually, I drove here." She reminded him. "But I'd love to have some company walking to my car."

And so the two headed out once more into the chilly October air, once again allowing silence to fall over them. The walk to Molly's car was rather short, as she'd parked in one of the closer parking spaces in the lot. For a while, the two just stood there, looking at each other, almost as if they one was waiting for the other to speak. Finally, it was Molly who broke the silence. "I've had a wonderful night...Thanks again for saving me. God knows what could have happened if you hadn't seen him lace my drink."

Lachy shook his head. "No need to thank me. I'm just glad I saw it happen." He said, glancing down at their still-joined hands.

"I'd let you keep it if I didn't need it." Molly said softly, repeating the words he'd said to her hours ago. She smiled as a hint of a blush colored the man's cheek's

"Ah, what a shame." He chuckled before he reluctantly let go of her hand. "I suppose this is goodbye then?"

Molly shook her head. "Not so fast, Mr. Gillespie. Let me see your phone."

Lachy didn't question her, rather, he unlocked his phone and handed it to Molly. He watched as she typed for a moment before she handed it back to him. "What did you do?"

"You can't honestly expect me to leave here tonight without having given you my phone number, can you?" She questioned with a raised brow. "Feel free to text or call whenever you'd like." Molly wasn't usually this bold, but the idea of never speaking to Lachy again was something she didn't want to think about. And from the smile on Lachy's lips, it was evident he was in agreement.

The two hugged for a moment before parting their separate ways with a goodbye and a promise to talk soon. And just like that, the night was over. Lachy made his way back into the bar while Molly drove home in the wee hours of the morning.

They both went to sleep with the other on their mind...


	3. Chapter 3

Monday morning rolled around much quicker than Molly had anticipated and soon she found herself driving to work in an early morning rainstorm. She'd spent the rest of the weekend very much the same way she usually did, which included a little bit of lesson planning, grocery shopping, and a whole lot of Netflix. She'd like to say she didn't check her phone ever so often, but that'd be a was anticipating a text from the man she'd gotten along so well with on Friday night, but it seemed she wouldn't hear from him the rest of the weekend

Molly arrived at the preschool 30 minutes before her shift, which gave her plenty of time before the children arrived to prep anything she needed for the day and to make sure her classroom was in correct order. It was also the time she spent talking to Hannah and Sophia, but this morning, she decided she would keep to herself. Of course she wouldn't be so lucky. Hannah apparently noticed her absence and decided to come to her.

"Well, I'm sure glad you're not dead. What happened to texting me when you got home?"

Molly's eyes widened as she paused her task of filling the toddlers' sippy cups with milk. She looked up at Hannah, her expression apologetic. "Oh, I forgot! I'm so sorry, I didn't get home until 3:00 or so...I guess I just crashed once I got home."

Hannah raised a brow. "3:00? You were out until 3:00?! Molly Grace!"

"What? I was having a good time…" Molly mumbled as she suddenly found interest in organizing the cups by color.

"Mhmm,I'm sure you were..." Hannah muttered.

"Oh it wasn't like that and you know it. Lachy and I just talked and got to know each other. We took a walk on the beach and completely lost track of time…"

Hannah snorted in a poor attempt to hide her laugh. "I can't believe you spent the afternoon with the Purple Wiggle…"

Molly raised a brow as she turned to place the cups in the fridge. "And what does that matter? If I remember correctly, that's the whole reason we went to the pub in the first place, to see them? Which, by the way, you failed to mention when you begged me to go."

"We didn't think you'd go if we told you. But really Molly, you needed a night out with your friends. And I'm glad you had fun, but you kinda flaked on us. We didn't see you all night. And when we did you were with that man. We wanted to spend time with you, and you blew us off to hang out with a guy you don't even know...That's not like you."

Molly bit her lip. "At least he paid attention." She mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Hannah's voice was edged with anger.

Molly was tempted to not answer and to just let it go, but she just couldn't. "I said at least he paid attention…" She turned to look at Hannah, who appeared shocked to say the least . "You and Sophie were so busy drinking and talking to each other that you didn't even notice when I left the table. I wasn't having fun, not even remotely until I met Lachy. So please, stop going on about it! If you had wanted to spend time with me so badly then you would have done it..." Molly couldn't believe she'd just said that. A part of her regretted her words and was about to apologize, but the other part of her knew she was right, and from the look on Hannah's face, she did too.

Hannah started to speak, but she seemed to have thought better of it, deciding instead to turn and walk out of the classroom without another word. Molly knew Hannah was pissed, but she wasn't about to apologize for something she really wasn't sorry for. So instead, she went about her day attempting to push the conversation from her mind which was rather easy to do with eight adorable distractions running amok in her classroom.

As it turned out, the rain continued to pour in Folly Beach, South Carolina, which meant the littles were once again cooped up inside. Thankfully, Molly had quite a few activities at her disposal to keep the toddlers busy. Of course, they got their 30 minutes of Wiggle Time before nap, which Molly found quite awkward to get through, if she was she kept herself busy with her planbook while the children sang along to their favorite songs.

Before she knew it, all the children had gone home, her classroom was back in order from the whirlwind that is eight toddlers, and she was on her way out the door and heading toward her car, completely ready to go home. Thankfully, she only had a fifteen minute drive from the school to her apartment complex, so she didn't have to wait long.

At around 6:30, Molly stepped through the door of her 4th floor apartment with a tired sigh. She didn't waste any time in locking her door and double checking it before she headed to her room for a change of clothes. After spending the work day in jeans, she was more than ready for the comfort of leggings and her favorite sweatshirt.

The air in South Carolina had grown a bit chilly over the last week with the arrival of autumn, thus her apartment had been cooler than usual. She hesitated to turn the heating unit on, what with how unpredictable southern weather could be, so she stayed warm with her cozy sweatshirts, fuzzy socks, and throw blankets she kept near her couch. Perfect for an evening in binge watching The Office, which is exactly what she'd planned on doing. She had no lesson plans to do, so the young woman didn't feel the least bit guilty crashing on the couch.

As Molly settled on the couch, wrapped in her favorite quilt, she reached for the remote and launched Netflix. Though she'd watched the entire series through on more than one occasion, The Office has always been a favorite that she'd go back to again and was the kind of silly comedy that was easy to get lost in. She tried to tell herself she wasn't watching it as a distraction, but that would be a lie. She was definitely distracting herself from glancing at her phone over and over, or even sending Lachy a message on Instagram.

"You're being stupid, Molly." She chided herself as she flipped her phone screen down on the coffee table. "You won't hear from him again and you know it. If he'd been the least bit interested in texting you, he'd have done it by now." She had expected this, it didn't mean she was any less disappointed…

Soon enough, Molly was completely immersed in the show, laughing as Jim and Dwight got up to their usual antics. She had forgotten all about her phone and Lachy, at least for the time being. That is, until her phone began to buzz with an incoming call.

Molly quickly reached for her phone, figuring it was her boss or Hannah wanting to talk to her about something work related. However, when she looked at the screen she was surprised to see a number she didn't recognize. Her eyes widened and her heart began to heat a little faster "I wonder…." she murmured as her thumb hovered over the accept button. But it couldn't be, could it? "No, it's probably just a telemarketer."

Molly let the call go to voicemail, but almost immediately her phone began to ring again. It was the same number. "If that's a telemarketer, he's certainly persistent…" Still yet, Molly let the call go to voicemail once more. If it was Lachy he'd call another time, right? She could have kicked herself for not getting his number when she gave him her's.

"I could call the number back…" She mumbled to herself. What could it hurt? If it was a telemarketer, all she had to do was block the number and forget about it. Or she could leave it alone. But what if it _was_ him?

While Molly was warring with herself, her phone began to buzz, this time signaling the arrival of a text. Molly knew it was ridiculous, but she had never clicked a notification so quickly in her life, especially when she realized the text was from the same exact number that called. She couldn't stop the smile that tugged at her lips as she read the text.

"Hello,is this Molly? This is Lachy from the other night."

Molly grinned as she read the message. So it WAS him. She wondered if she should reply or just call him. Knowing her and her general shyness, she knew a voice conversation could be potentially awkward despite the fact that there hadn't really been a moment of awkwardness between them the other day. It was still surprising to her how comfortable she had felt with him, and a bit scary if she was honest. She hadn't felt that comfortable around a guy since Asher.

"No, I'm not thinking about him." She said firmly, shaking her head as she began to type out a reply to the text.

"_Hey, Stranger. :)"_

Molly couldn't explain the butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she waited for a reply. She shouldn't be this nervous. It was a few moments before another text came through.

"_Oh, good! I thought you'd typed the wrong number in when you weren't answering. And I realize I didn't even think to give you my number or any of my social media handles before you left, which was stupid on my part...Wait..This is Molly, right? You're not messing with me?"_

Molly giggled a bit as she read the text. She could almost hear him rambling as she read and reread the words.. For a moment she considered calling him rather than continuing their text conversation, just to hear his voice, but she thought better of it. "You're getting ahead of yourself, Molly. You don't really know this guy…" But she did know him. At least, she felt like she did, however impossible that was after only a few hours of conversation.

"_Relax, it's me. How have you been?" _She questioned in another text.

A few moments passed with no reply, so Molly decided to step into the kitchen to get something to drink and see what she could make for dinner. Not that she really felt like cooking. Maybe she'd order something instead. Yeah, Chinese sounded good anyway.

Just as she finished placing an online order for delivery from her favorite Chinese place, another text from Lachy came through.

"_I'd say busy, but that'd be an understatement. We had three shows yesterday. And I managed to lose my phone somewhere between Folly Beach and Greenville, which is why I didn't text before now. I'm sorry about that."_

Molly frowned a bit. Losing a phone was always a hassle, she couldn't even begin to imagine doing so in a different country. She wondered how difficult it had been for him to get another phone. Do they even have the same service carriers in Australia as they did here?

"_Oh, that sucks! Did you get a new one?"_

Molly knew that was a silly question. Of course he got a new phone, how else was he texting her? She bit her lip somewhat nervously as she turned her attention back to the tv while she waited for a response, though she was no longer interested in the show in the least. It wasn't long before Lachy texted back.

"_It was a nightmare, but yes. And I thankfully got all my contacts back. But other than that, it hasn't been too bad. And what about you? How have you been?"_

"_Oh, I can only imagine. I'm glad you got it sorted." _Molly replied. "_I've been good. I spent the rest of the weekend lesson planning and watching Netflix, so nothing too interesting."_

"_Netflix?" _Was Lachy's reply, which was quickly followed by another_. "Anything interesting?"_

Just as Molly was about to type out a response to Lachy, her doorbell rang, signalling the arrival of the Chinese she'd ordered and nearly forgotten about. So, with a small sigh, she set her phone down on the coffee table and went to answer the door. After paying the delivery guy, she shut and locked her door before heading to the kitchen. Realizing that she was anxious to continue her conversation with Lachy, she quickly grabbed a fork and her container of lo mein before hurrying back to her couch.

"_I watched the second season of The Crown over the weekend. Before you judge, it was only 10 episodes, so not too many."_

"_No judgements here." _Was Lachy's quick reply, "_Sometimes lazy sofa weekends with Netflix and comfy clothes are the best weekends. I look forward to having a few of those myself once we're back home. So, what are some other shows you find binge worthy? I could do to add a few new titles to my watch list."_

With her dinner completely forgotten, Molly dove into a conversation with Lachy over their favorite Netflix shows, finding that they shared quite a few favorites, including a mutual love for Friends. The discussion moved to movies and books they enjoyed, and then on to details about their personal lives like where they grew up and how many siblings they had.

Molly learned that Lachy was 33, almost 34 and was born in Brisbane, Australia where he still lived, and that he was the middle of three boys. In light of his love for musical theatre, Lachy had attended Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts where he received a bachelors in musical theatre before he was given a job with the Wiggles. He mentioned briefly that he was divorced, but he didn't go into any detail about that, which Molly was grateful for. She didn't feel they knew each other nearly well enough to go into details of past relationships. And she sure wasn't comfortable enough to share any details about Asher with her new friend.

Likewise, Molly revealed that she'd been born in Northern California, but moved to Folly Beach with her parents at the age of two. She was an only child and she grew up helping her parents run their seaside inn after school and during the summer holidays. She attended college in Nashville, Tennessee, where she received her degree in early childhood before she returned to Folly Beach to work as a toddler teacher in the local preschool. She enjoyed her job, but the 29 year old seemed to feel stuck at times, and she admitted to Lachy that she felt a change would do her some good.

The two continued to text back and forth for hours, though it only felt like minutes to them. In fact. Molly hadn't even realized just how late it had gotten until her phone chimed at midnight to remind her to set her alarm for her usual 5:30 am wakeup. She couldn't help but feel disappointed when she realized that she'd have to call it a night if she had any hope of getting a half decent night of sleep. After all, a classroom full of wild toddlers was a challenge on a full eight hours, but on less than six? She knew she'd regret it if she didn't sleep soon.

Reluctantly, Molly moved to her bedroom where she settled in her bed, but she didn't put her phone away. She instead began to type out a text to bring the conversation to an end for the night.

"_I can't believe it's so late. Unfortunately I have to work early tomorrow, so I should get some sleep." _ She texted. It was now going on 12:30, and she still couldn't figure out how it'd gotten so late so fast. "I guess losing track of time is easy when you're having fun." She murmured to herself as a smile tugged at her lips.

Molly was expecting a response in the form of a text, but she was quite surprised when it came in the form of a phone call. This time she didn't hesitate to answer the phone.

"Hello...Lachy?" She questioned, her voice filled with slight confusion. Why was he calling her? She'd just mentioned that she needed sleep, and she was certain he needed it as well.

"Molly? Hey.." Lachy replied. He sounded a bit awkward as he spoke in a hushed tone. Molly would have almost thought he was trying to keep from waking someone up, but she could hear laughter and conversation in the background.

"Hey…" She repeated, still sounding as confused as ever. "Is everything alright? Why are you talking so quietly?"

"Huh? Oh yes, everything's fine. We're on the bus headed to Charlotte and everyone's just having a bit of a laugh. I just, well, I wanted to tell you goodnight." He admitted.

"_You just wanted to hear her voice, Lach! Don't lie to yourself, mate!"_

Molly giggled a bit as she recognized the voice of Anthony calling out in the background. She could almost imagine a blush on Lachy's cheeks as she heard him curse under his breath. "I take it he's a bit tipsy?"

"Who, Anto? Nah, the cheeky bastard hasn't had a drop. He doesn't drink, he just likes to tease people." Lachy replied, chuckling a bit.

"I see," Molly murmured sleepily. "There must never be a dull moment with him."

Lachy chuckled again at her words. "Not for a second." He said, his voice once again hushed. "You sound sleepy, I'm sorry to have kept you up so late." Lachy sounded apologetic, though Molly wasn't sorry in the least.

"No, don't be sorry. It wasn't just you. I was enjoying our conversation and I guess I lost track of time." She admitted. "But I really do need to sleep, 5:30 comes rather early. And besides, isn't it passed your bedtime? I mean, I'm surprised you're still awake now." She teased. After all, Lachy's character was well known for falling asleep often and at the drop of a hat.

There was silence for a second before Molly heard Lachy's laughter carrying over the phone. "Probably so." He mused. "I know with a class of toddlers to take care of, it's most definitely passed your's. We should be arriving at the hotel soon anyway. I'll let you get some sleep now. Can I call you tomorrow?"

Molly felt her cheeks heat up in a blush. She could hear a hint of timidness in his voice when he'd asked to call again and should couldn't help but smile a bit brighter. "Of course you can." She answered as she attempted to hide a yawn. She was certain he'd heard it, though, as she heard him chuckling again. She was sleepier than she thought.

"You really are sleepy, aren't you?"

"Well, I mean, I'm typically asleep before 10:00 on school nights. I know, I know, it's a little ridiculous, but that's the exciting life of a teacher." Molly murmured.

"No, I can't blame you really. Well, I won't keep you awake any longer, then. Goodnight, Molly." Lachy's voice was almost in a whisper now, bringing a smile to Molly's lips.

"Goodnight, Lachy." She replied. She hesitated a moment before she ended the call and placed her phone on the nightstand. With a final sleepy sigh, she settled under the covers and closed her eyes, allowing herself to fall asleep yet again with thoughts of Lachy on her mind.


End file.
